Incredibly fast and yet so tiny
Dressed in feathers that refract the sunlight
Radiating such colourful beauty
Producing a true birdwatcher's delight

Suspending a living feathery mass
Wings beating at eighty times per second
Create a blur which for a short time lasts
Then in an instant later it is gone

Busily sipping each flower's nectar
As you rapidly flit from bloom to bloom
Viewing you in your glorious splendour
Chases away any feelings of gloom

A true master of acrobatic flight
Forward, backward and even upside down
What a marvellous captivating sight
Leaving the viewer speechless and spellbound

All bedecked in luminescent feathers
Blessed with a spectacular flying mode
Radiating such beautiful colours
That is the magic of the hummingbird


slow motion video